Page 15 of Falkner
For the rest of the afternoon and well into the evening, they talked about Meggie and what she’d done to Doone and Robert.He needed to get away from Robert before he said something that he’d regret and reached out to his brothers to see if any of them had time for him.He needed to vent.It was Cullen who said that he had some time and would meet him at his house.That would be wonderful he told him, and then went to find Doone to tell her that he was going out.
“You’ll be back, right?”He asked her what she meant.“I mean, this is really bad.You’re not going to leave me, are you?I know that I should tell you to, but I just figured out that I love you, and I don’t want to spend any time without you.I’m sorry this is going on, but I feel like I’ve been roped into something well over my head in all of this.”
“I’m just going to run with Cullen.I promise you that I’ll be back in time for bedtime.”She asked him about dinner.“Don’t hold it on me.I need to get out and run—”
“You don’t believe my father, either, do you?Just so you know, I don’t either.They’re both pathetic.I feel like a pawn in both their lives, and I don’t like it.I wish that I’d never gotten in touch with my father.Of course, I wouldn’t have known about Mother either, but one is about as bad as the other.And I think you feel it too.”
“I do.”She nodded and kissed him on the mouth.“Do you want me to stay?I can if you need me to.But I’m finding that I want to tell them both off about the way they manipulated you into this situation.”
“No, go.At least I know now that it’s not just me who feels this way.”He said he wasn’t sure how she was taking it.“Neither do I for the most part, but I do believe that they deserved each other.Neither one of them is good for me, and I don’t believe that I want them in my life after this.I might well spend some time in jail too, but I’m going to try very hard to stay positive about that too.Your dad is filling out paperwork now that turns them both in.I think that dad was just as guilty about mom in this scam that she pulled on the government and myself.”
“I think you might be right.And it might go better on you if you turn them in.”She said that’s what she’d been thinking too.“I knew that you were brilliant.I love you, Doone.If you want me to stay, I will.But I feel better knowing that they’re not pulling the wool over your eyes any longer.”
He left her there with her dad, with the promise that she’d keep him informed of anything that went on.She told him that she’d be fine, and he knew she would be.It was just a matter of time before she would have had enough of her dad, too, and he’d be out on his ear.He just didn’t understand humans at all sometimes.He knew that Doone had been one, but as he’d told her before, she wasbrilliant and a good person.All this would be over soon, and he’d wait for her if she ended up with jail time.
Cullen was just where he said he’d been when they were in the woods.They didn’t speak all that much when running through the trees, but when they finally had had enough, they sat by the small spring that ran between their properties and rested.It was Cullen who brought up the whole mess first.
“I was talking to Loren about it.He said that he could fix it so that everything came back on the mother.Just tweak a few things here and there, and it would look like she’d been the onewho had done all the paperwork for herself.”He asked why he’d do that for them.“Because he’s part of the family and he loves Doone.Did I tell you that she’s been talking to him about different matters?They seemed to get along really well.I guess when they get together, he gives her a little bit of magic, too.Just to keep her safe.”
“Does he think she’s going to be hurt by all of this?”He said that he’d never mentioned it, but he’d bet she was hurting now.“I guess that’s true enough.I don’t know how she’s putting up with her father now that he’s confessed to his part in all of this.He was notified by the welfare department about Meggie applying for federal aid, but he didn’t do anything about it.He said that he tossed the paperwork away that might well have saved Doone from jail time.Then he’s been whining about how he’s going to try to be by her side when all this goes to court.Dad is thinking that both parents might well be in for a hit for jail time.”
“If anyone could do that, it would be Dad.”They both agreed that their father was a good attorney.“I’ve been looking up things that might happen to Meggie if she’s found guilty of fraud.She could have to pay back all the money that was given to her in the form of help, and she’d never be able to apply for aid again.Then there will be jail time on top of that.”
“To which she deserves.”They both laughed.“I hope they both get what they deserve in all of this.Especially Meggie.She’s the biggest thief of them all in this scam.”
“Deserved” had become the word of the day for most of his family when it came to dealing with Meggie.How she felt that she deserved all the things she got from assistance was mind-boggling to him.He was hoping that she would get the book thrown at her for her part in this crime.And he wanted Robert to be found guilty of helping her with her crimes, too.Stupid humans.
It was nearly midnight when they split up and headed back to their homes.He felt better just being away from Robert and the things to do with Meggie.Sneaking up to his bedroom, he was surprised to find Doone in his bed.Instead of getting into bed with her naked, he pulled on his briefs and snuggled up with her.
He had no idea where Robert was in the house or even if he was staying with them.But he’d not turn down the opportunity to sleep with his mate for all the money in the world.Even if it was just to sleep with her.In the morning, Dad was going to file the paperwork that would get the other two in trouble, and hopefully, nothing to do with Doone.But he could see both parents putting the blame on their daughter simply because they were those kinds of people.Ones that felt they were above the law and the things that came with breaking them.
Chapter 7
Meggie was able to sell the car, and she was happy when they paid her in cash.They were even willing to say that she’d sold it to them for a lot less than she had, so that they’d only have to pay taxes on the amount that they agreed on.Something to do with the mileage or something.She didn’t have a clue, but she had stashed away over three grand from the deal, and now that ugly car was no longer sitting in her driveway.
She was going to have to have a talk with Doone.The way things had been going as late was nothing that she deserved.She wanted to be taken to her appointments, not driving herself.Meggie didn’t know what was wrong with Doone, but it was going to stop right now.This wasn’t the way that she raised her, damn it.
Picking up her cell phone, she was just contemplating whether or not to call Doone when her phone rang.Smiling at the picture that came up, she put the phone to her ear and waited for her daughter to say how sorry she was before she spoke.There was no way she was going to forgive her for her treatment, so she’d better be thinking of ways to get back into her good graces.
“I know that you’re there.I can hear you breathing.And if this is another attempt to put me in my place, it’s not going to work either.I’m still mad at you, and I don’t care if you know it or not.”She drew in a deep breath to talk to her daughter, tell her off more like it when she spoke again.“I’ve spoken to dad.He said you never had cancer.Nor were you as broke as you told me you were.I wonder what the welfare department is going to think when they find out that you had access to hundreds of thousands of dollars that you shared with dad.”
“You aren’t to believe a word that he tells you about anything.Do you hear me?I deserve your loyalty in all of this because I put up with you more than he had to do.”Doone asked her why she’d felt that she’d had to put up with her.“You never wanted me to have the things that I deserved.Never once did you take my feelings into consideration when you went off and did things on your own.Well, that’s going to change from now on.I’m going to be your number one priority from now on, including over that man that you’re living with.”
“He has a name.It’s Falkner Dixon.He’s a doctor, too.”She didn’t care what he said he was; Meggie wasn’t going to believe him.“I couldn’t care less and I’m sure that he wouldn’t either what you think about him.I’m going to marry him and soon, and there isn’t anything you can do about it.”
“What makes you think that you’re going to be able to do anything once I’m finished with you.I’m going to tell him just what sort of person you really are.”She thought about what Doone had said.“What do you mean you’ve spoken to your father and he told you that I didn’t have cancer?How would he know?He left us when he had a woman hanging on his arms that meant more to him than we did.You have to remember what he did to us.”
“I remember what he did to you.He didn’t leave me for being a liar.He left you.And tried to get in touch with me over the years, but you wouldn’t allow it.”Meggie’s head was hurting; she was so angry.“There was no other woman, only you, and he didn’t much care for you either.”
“Are you saying that you don’t care for me, Doone?I don’t deserve this.I was there for you when you needed him.”She said she wouldn’t have had to be there if she’d allowed her to know that her dad was trying to get in touch with her.“Like I started to tell you before you interrupted me, I deserve all your time and energy.I gave birth to you, and it wasn’t easy either.”
“Dad told me that you had a very easy pregnancy and that you didn’t even have morning sickness.Your labor and delivery were just as easy, and you were only in hard labor for about an hour before you gave birth to me.Is that all you’ve done is lie to me all my life?”She said that her father didn’t know anything.“How about the doctor who delivered me?He had a great deal to say whenI told him I was thinking about having children, and I didn’t want to go through the same laborious trouble that you did.He did nothing but gush about how you went through it all like a trooper and didn’t even need any drugs for the pain.Christ, I’ll ask you again.Did you ever not lie to me about anything?”
“I know what I did, and you’ll not bring that up to me again.I don’t deserve you speaking to me like this either.If you want to have a relationship with me, you’d better be changing your tune and give me what I deserve, Doone, or so help me, I’ll make you regret it.”She told her that she already regretted everything that she’d ever done for her.“Lies.You loved giving me what I deserved.Now you’re going to continue to do so now that you think you know the truth about things.There will be no more talk about me driving places.I sold the car so that it can’t be an issue again.”
“Good for you.”She didn’t know what she expected her to say, but it wasn’t for her to be glad about the fact that the car was no longer going to be an issue.“I hope you have a good time walking to all the places you have to be.Or perhaps you can use that money to call for rides all the time.I’m certainly not going to be taking you anywhere anymore.I’m going to start making a life for myself, and that won’t include you.”
“We’ll see about that.You’re going to be at my beck and call because I deserve everything that you can get me.And it’s going to start with you getting rid of that man.He’s a bad influence on you, and I won’t have it.”She waited for her to say that she would do as she wanted her to do, but all she did was laugh.“I don’t know what you find so funny, but I won’t put up with that either.What if I told that man what sort of person you really are?One that leaves her mother when she needs her the most.”
